Where Are The Jobs?

ANN LANDERS

January 21, 1996|ANN LANDERS Syndicated Columnist

Dear Ann Landers: I'll bet you have already received several hundred letters from readers like me who were stunned by your insensitivity. I am referring to your response to the woman whose husband had been looking for a job for three years. You said her letter was "downright depressing" and suggested that her "negative attitude" had a lot to do with her bad luck.

Get real. I know Ph.D.s who have lost their jobs and are working for $6 an hour. You are going to hear plenty about your unsympathetic response. - Judy S. in Durham, N.C.

Dear Judy: I did indeed "hear plenty," and when 6,000 people write and tell me I'm out of the loop, I'd better take another look. Meanwhile, here's what my readers had to say:

From Wilton, Calif.: You are clearly out of touch with the sinking middle class. I was once a corporate president, and now, due to "downsizing," I am working for minimum wage.

Troy, Mich.: My husband worked for an advertising agency for 23 years. He was only 49 when the company decided to "downsize" and suggested he take early retirement. He's been job-hunting for three years. Now do you get it?

Moline, Ill.: My son has two degrees, one in business, another in accounting. He, too, was downsized and can't find a job that puts his talents to use. He's now delivering flowers.

Davenport, Iowa: When was the last time you dipped into your retirement savings to pay the $650 monthly premium to keep your health insurance in force? Do you know what it's like to send out 125 resumes and not get a nibble?

Hartford, Conn.: Dear Marie Antoinette: Millions of people in the United States and Canada are working for peanuts to create millionaires and billionaires. This is the stuff revolutions are made of.

Philadelphia: No jobs? Nonsense! The quality of entry-level workers is pathetic. I've interviewed hundreds of college graduates who can't read, can't spell and can't do simple math. Worse yet, many can't pass a drug test.

Dear Phil.: Millions of competent people are out of work. Downsizing is a fact of life, and I feel for those who want to work and can't find jobs. Hello, Secretary of Labor Robert Reich. Any suggestions?